Legacy of the First Man

One of my childhood heroes died recently. Neil Armstrong, 82, was commander of the Apollo 11 mission, the first lunar landing. As I got older and learned more about the man, I found much to admire about him. He was an Eagle Scout, an engineer, a Korean War veteran, and a test pilot. I was impressed that after leaving NASA, he didn’t cash in on his fame; he became a professor of aerospace engineering, using his experience and expertise to teach future engineers.

By Presidential proclamation, the US flag flew at half-mast in honor of Armstrong.  Many have issued statements concerning Armstrong’s passing, praising him and his accomplishments. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, stated that Armstrong will be “remembered for taking humankind’s first small step on a world beyond our own.”  My heart goes out to the Armstrong family and I offer my condolences for the loss of a father, a grandfather, and husband.  But I’m not writing to praise Armstrong or his accomplishments; I’m writing about his legacy.

As a child, Neil Armstrong was my hero because he was an astronaut and the first person to set foot on the moon.  He and the 11 other astronauts who walked on the moon inspired me. I wanted to be an astronaut and a pilot because I saw what they accomplished.  The US Space Program’s accomplishments sparked my interest in science and math.  I became an engineer and a part of the US Space Program.

The US Human Space Program has done some amazing things since December of 1972, when the final Apollo lunar mission left the Moon’s surface.  A technological marvel, the Space Shuttle flew 133 successful missions and traveled almost 550 million miles in 30 years.  We’ve launched two space stations. The first one, Skylab, launched in 1973, played host to three crews, with the third crew living on orbit for 84 days, a record for US spaceflight at the time. 

The second, the International Space Station (ISS), has been continuously crewed since March 2, 2000, for over 4300 days.  The ISS vehicle is 239 feet long by 356 feet wide by 66 feet high. The habitable volume is equivalent to a five bedroom house. The eight solar array wings, each 115 feet long by 39 feet wide, generate enough electricity to power 120 homes.  In addition to being an incredible engineering feat, it is proof that we can work in space and we can cooperate with international partners on a grand scale.

Yes, we’ve done some grand things, but the Shuttle is retired and the US has no human launch capability.  Since December 1972, humans have not travelled farther than 380 miles above the Earth.  For the last 40 years, we’ve been making left-hand turns around the Earth.  NASA has no concrete plans to go back to the moon and NASA says it is “… designing and building the capabilities to send humans to explore the solar system, working toward a goal of landing humans on Mars.” 

However, the reality is that NASA’s plans for a new spacecraft and a new launch vehicle are depressing.  According to NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/664158main_sls_fs_master.pdf) the new spacecraft and launch vehicle would make an unmanned flight in 2017. A second, manned mission would occur in 2021 and proceed with a launch rate of one mission per year thereafter.  There are plans for a second launch vehicle with heavier lift capability, but the plans don’t include taking humans anywhere.

NASA is the agency that implements the US Human Space Policy.  As with all federal government agencies, it exists to serve the American public. Tell NASA, your Congressman, and your Senator what you want NASA to do and where you think we should explore.  It would be a crime for Armstrong’s legacy to end in left-hand turns around the Earth.